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Journal Title	Family Holiday in Aldeburgh Suffolk	Send this journal to a friend
Location	Suffolk (United Kingdom)	More journals about Suffolk
Author	Wendy	Other journals by Wendy

getting there

We always drive, which from Essex takes about 1.5hrs. For us we take the A12 and head towards Lowestoft.

accommodation

There are 3 main Hotels, all situated on the seafront. Our favourite is the Brudenell which is closest to the beach and is the most child friendly. They have a couple of great family rooms (Double bed with bunk beds and room for another put up bed) which overlook the sea with small balcony and at night you can hear the waves crashing on the seashore. If you are visiting Aldeburgh for the weekend its probably best to book into a Hotel, if you staying for a week or longer I would recommend hiring a cottage. There are several agencies that are good, we have used Suffolk-Secrets.co.uk a few times now. We have also stayed in an apartment overlooking the highstreet called Alde River View which sleeps 6 and is spacious and clean, very important ! We stayed here in August during the Aldeburgh Carnival and got a brilliant view of the parade from up above, (the apartment is above the Alde River Pine Toy shop).

restaurants

You can eat in any of the Hotels. The Wentworth although in my opinion is not as child friendly as the Brudenell has a lovely contemporary enclosed seafacing garden which is great when you have children that you need to keep your eyes on. This hotel is worth a visit as its very traditional in style and has various comfortable lounges inside. The food is good, although the bar is small. The food is good also in the Brudenell. If you like Champagne you can get it by the glass in either Hotel try the local Adnams version. Another popular restaurant is The Lighthouse which is situated in the High Street and has been mentioned in all major good food guides. The owner also runs the Aldeburgh cookery school across the road. Great menu for fish, also children are welcome. There are other restaurants in the High Street, 152 and Munchies are great for fresh sanwiches and cakes and if you are a Starbucks addict like me Munchies do a good latte.

bars & clubs

No Clubs in Aldeburgh, Most bars can be found in the hotels or restaurants. There are a few pubs in a 'traditional' style not contemporary or modern and really child friendly either.

activities

There is a great boating pond near the beach where children can sail their model boats. You can buy the boats from most shops, our kids love to bring their battered boats everytime we come, unfortunately I couldnt find a photo but its usually packed with children, theres a coffee and ice cream hut where parents can grab a drink or pop across to the Mill Inn pub and pick up a pint or glass of wine. There is a big park in Aldeburgh for all ages and plenty of room for kicking around a football or playing basketball. There is a cinema in Aldeburgh which shows childrens films during school holidays it looks tiny on the outside but is surprisingly big once inside and opposite is the Aldeburgh bookshop with a kids section, we always have to pay a visit here. There are also plenty of activities around the surrounding towns and vilages of Aldeburgh. Southwold is definately worth a visit its about 20 miles from Aldeburgh with a sandy beach and pier with all the coloured huts. Thorpeness is about 5 minutes down the road and has a boating lake. Orford is also worth a visit with its castle and quaint centre.

must do's

You must be brave and take a dip in the North Sea which crashes onto the shore, our kids love the beach and although it is a pebble beach not sand we still spend alot of our time chasing the waves and collecting pebbles which the kids save and take home to paint. This is a fishing town and you can buy fresh fish direct from the fisherman huts, in the morning you can see the boats being dragged up the shoreline. This year we discovered Samphire (plant) which is delicious. You have to visit one of the 2 chip shops and go onto the beach and eat your fish and chips on the seawall or beach, you will be amazed at the queue that forms outside one in particular it disappears round the corner !!. There are organised boat rides from Aldeburgh (advertised on the beach) but we've never got around to doing one yet.

useful info

If you drive to Aldeburgh and are staying for a week it is worth buying a parking permit from the Tourist Board situated in the High Street which allows you to park in one of the 2 public car parks. You can no longer leave your car parked in the High street all day (2 hour max). You can park after 6pm overnight in the High Street though if necessary but wardens are back after 8am.

security

Absolutely fine, Aldeburgh is like stepping back in time. It did get a bit noisy during the carnival week when Aldeburgh seemed to be taken over by students.

Aldeburgh Beach

William on the Beach

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